UN Interviews

While finalising its departure from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, remains fully engaged in assisting the country on its path to peace and stability.

It’s essential to ensure “women’s voices are heard in the political processes that are taking place,” says Special Representative Bintou Keita, Head of MONUSCO, who was in New York for High-Level Week at the end of last month.

In an interview with UN News’s Jérôme Bernard she speaks about the ongoing security challenges posed by multiple armed groups in the east and what the impact on women is likely to be as MONUSCO continues its mandated withdrawal. 

As artificial intelligence rapidly becomes a potentially transformative part of our lives, a crucial question arises: how can we ensure that generative AI serves humanity rather than harming it?

AI has the potential to help humanity reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but it must be guided by appropriate safeguards to ensure it is useful, safe, and inclusive.

During High-Level Week, two panels convened to discuss the future of AI, both moderated by Deputy Director of the UN’s News and Media Division, Mita Hosali.

Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology, addressed our shared digital future, while Sarah Steinberg from LinkedIn, Tami Bhaumik from Roblox, and Hélène Molinier from UN Women, discussed new opportunities for women working in technology.

With increasing violence contributing to global crises, the UN has repeatedly raised concerns about diminishing access to education at all levels.

To address this growing emergency, the UN culture and education agency, UNESCO, has implemented measures to create pathways to education and employment for refugees, according to Sara Osman, an Associate Programme Specialist at UNESCO.

She explained to UN News’s Cecily Kariuki how the organization is working to boost educational opportunities, especially across the African continent in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Kenya and more.

More than 215 people, including 35 children, have lost their lives, with dozens still missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Nepal.

The capital Kathmandu has been hardest hit, experiencing its heaviest rains in over 50 years. Hundreds of homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged, and parts of the city remain underwater.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Nepal has dispatched emergency teams to the affected regions, providing vital humanitarian aid, as UN News’ Vibhu Mishra has been hearing from Florine Bos, Chief of Communications at UNICEF Nepal.

Click here for the accompanying text story.

With multiple conflicts ravaging the world, staff of various UN agencies are stepping beyond their traditional roles, acting as frontline humanitarian workers dedicated to saving lives. UNFPA, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, is no exception.

Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, highlights the harsh realities faced by women and girls caught in crises, particularly in Sudan, where the agency has been deeply embedded even before the current conflict.

In this interview with UN News’s Anton Uspensky, Dr. Kanem discusses UNFPA’s mission, the resources at their disposal, and the specific actions being taken to empower every girl and woman to make their own choices regarding marriage and motherhood.

Education is always the first public spending to be cut in a crisis and the last to be restored, according to the UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown.

But on Thursday he announced a new $1.5 billion commitment to invest in education for those children and youth most in need, powered by the game-changing International Finance Facility for Education.

The former British Prime Minister told UN News’s Ben Malor the cash injection would help get tens of thousands of students back to school – part of a wider, innovative plan to prevent whole generations of children from losing out.

With 70 years of experience in the safe commercial use of nuclear energy, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says all countries need to follow internationally agreed safety standards, and that safety is the absolute priority.

That’s according to Rafael Mariano Grossi, IAEA’s Director General, who is taking part in the High-Level Week of the UN General Assembly in New York.

In an interview with UN News’s Nargis Shekinskaya, Mr. Grossi said an apparent willingness by Iran’s new Government to resume nuclear inspections and dialogue was a positive development, and he addressed the perilous situation facing nuclear power plants in Ukraine and Russia.

“We need quick reform of the international financial architecture. It simply doesn't work in terms of addressing the financing and the debt challenges that Africa is having.”

That’s the view from Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), taking part in a discussion organized by Africa Renewal earlier this week.

UNECA brings countries together alongside the African Union to boost key development issues such as financing, climate action and new technology.

He told UN News’s Julia Foxen about the need for fairer global financial systems and greater investment in climate adaptation efforts. 

With an alarming uptick in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) worldwide, stakeholders will be gathering on Thursday for a High-Level Meeting to discuss ways of combating the growing superbug scourge.

UN News’s Felipe de Carvalho caught up with Yvan Hutin, Director of Surveillance, Prevention and Control at the AMR Division at the World Health Organization (WHO), who’s in New York for the summit.

One key concern is the impact that the brutal wars in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan are having on the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains.

Children make up half of Gaza’s entire population of over two million, but none have been able to attend school since the 7 October attacks triggered nearly a year of devastating war.

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, told UN News during an interview in New York on Tuesday that the longer the fighting goes on, the greater the chance of losing an entire generation.

For 75 years, UNRWA has provided free basic education to millions and the agency is determined to reopen classrooms as soon as possible.

Mr. Lazzarini told Khaled Mohamed what impact the constant targeting of schools and civilian infrastructure was having on Gazans as daily airstrikes continue.